This year I've been working on a new graphic novel project, and I feel like the time has come to share it with the RI community.
After the Dream is a dark, realistic science-fiction series about the damaged survivors of a covert program which has used unwitting humans as test subjects in the pursuit of mind control, truth serums, and psychic powers. While the program has failed to produce any psychic or super-powered individuals, it has left a trail of broken lives and minds in its wake. The series follows two parallel story arcs, a young schizophrenic woman named Rhyda Izguerra in the present day, and a young man named Balum in a dystopian near future. Rhyda is aided by repentant drug researcher Gregory Kincaid, and together they work to save other victims of the illicit experimentation. Balum, meanwhile, is taking a more proactive approach, rallying various dissidents to directly attack the shadowy corporation which is behind the program. After the Dream is a work in progress which is envisioned to be a 24-issue monthly series.
I'd be honored to receive any feedback from the bright and inquisitive minds here. I realize there will probably be a certain amount of concern about muddying the waters about this topic with fiction, but please accept that my intentions at least are good.
The entire first issue is currently available online, and I hope to have 2&3 up within a couple of months. The website is [url]afterthedream.yolasite.com[/url]. It isn't meant for dissemination to the general public at this point, but regular posters may PM me for the required login and password. Excerpts will be posted below in this thread.
Lastly, if anyone has connections in the comic book publishing industry, help a brother out! I plan on sending out submissions before the end of the year.